Friday, 12 June 2009

The Cairns Post must have checked the letter writer this time, as he's a real live person.

Yesterday O'Halloran wrote a letter in the Post as if it were still 1977.

"There is a time and place for everything," he wrote. "I object to having a gay and lesbian choir... and having to explain who the hell they are to my son."

Well, for a start, I'd stop using the word 'hell' to to your son, otherwise Lucifier might pay you an early visit.He was referring a performance at the 5th annual Festival of the Knob, which attracted a crowd of 5,000 over the weekend.

"Let's keep a bit of civil pride in our suburb," O'Halloran writes, whatever that's meant to mean. "I am not homophobic, I enjoyed their routine but please keep it away from kids."

Why? What will happen? Will they want to take up singing? Wear bright-coloured shirts?

I know this writer reads CairnsBlog because anyone with that amount of time to scribe a hate-filled letter about his fellow citizens, must surf the net for dodgy websites.

He says he's not 'homophobic and that Yorkeys Knob "should be taken in proper context, and not for the exploitation of a minority. Right, let's kick those rich wankers out of the Half Moon Bay Boat Club. They a damm minority. How dare they flaunt their rich-arse boats driving along Varley Street, past Mr O'Halloran's house, showing off their knobs.

O'Halloran's angry letter says more about himself and his upbringing, than anyone else when he said the choir should "not frighten the parents." Well, I know there's a few ugly mugs in the line up, but they really didn't frighten anyone I think.

OutLOUD's Musical Director, Cliff Anderson says the choir were invited to perform due to their identity as a community musical/social group, not as a minority.

"There was absolutely no political agenda," Cliff Anderson told CairnsBlog. "Secondly, there was nothing blatantly sexual or 'gay' in our performance. This was hardly a case of jockstraps, bare chests and 'Gay Rights Now' posters."

"We are a group of men and women entertaining the crowd through song, as simple and harmless as that. The very large group of people [at the Festival of the Knob] was cheering at the end of our performance, and seemed to agree with this."

The fact that they're a gay social group has nothing to do with why they were there," Anderson says."I take great offence at being told to 'keep it away from the kids'," he says. "My mother and my fifteen year old son were at the Festival and thoroughly enjoyed the entire day. Perhaps you Dick [Richard O'Halloran], could explain to my son why 'the hell' people jeer at my partner and I holding hands in the street?"

The choir, made up of 25 amateur singers from across the Cairns region, has been performing for just over a year.

Yorkeys Knob festival co-ordinator and a member of OUTloud, Maurice Milliner, who also sung in the choir on Saturday, says that such a letter is simply 'great publicity'.

"This will simply get the gay community's voice out there," he said in response to the letter. "I have had nothing but positive response from those I have spoken with and the response from the crowd on the day said enough to not be too worried over it."

"Well, how can you follow that, after such a wonderful performance by our own gay and lesbian choir," Pat Morrish said on the day.

You can contact OUT Loud via their FaceBook group or telephone 4041 5451.

They're always looking for new members. You don't have to be any great singer. Incidentally, they're on the hunt for a new musical director, as Cliff is heading south in a few months.

Residents' Association president, Pam Bigelow (pictured with Pat) doesn't see what all the fuss is about."We're a great community and made up of many different people, and that's why we come together as a community to celebrate. Everyone's welcome," Pam Bigelow says.

Even Mr O'Halloran, it seems. Just please keep your narrow mind in the closet before you walk out the door. Your kids will be richer in a world without hatred and prejudice.

Here they are performing Rainbow Day and Take These Wings, at the World Aids Day Vigil, Cairns City Place, last December.

30 comments:

Debbie
said...

Oh for heaven's sake! - That's my first response. "Sexuality display not appreciated" ... what, did the choir get their kit off and have it on with each other right there on the stage? No? Kept their brightly coloured Tshirts on did they? Hmmm... So what if they were a "straight" choir - would the complainant have a go at the blatant showcasing of their sexuality too?

Hmm wonder if this gentleman took the same line with "The Choir of Hard Knocks", after all they are made up of alcaholics, drug abusers, homeless, mental illness and I am sure Gay and Lesbian participants.

The fact that Mr O'Halloran felt so strongly that he had to write a letter to the Cairns Post is remarkable. I think he will find that it is in fact he who is in the minority, and that as a society we have moved past stereotypes of sexuality.

Mr O'Halloran must realise that he will live a much happier life if he spent less time wondering (imagining? fantasising?) what other people are doing and more time getting his own house in order.

Lot's of people have O'Halloran's views. Most are well aware that Yorkey's Knob is the "gay" suburb; every city has one. Most of my neighbours ignore the "Knob People's Festival" exactly for this reason - it's turned over the years into a gay pride monstrosity.

Thanks for the HOT tip "No Fruits in Trinity". I will now invest in Yorkeys Knob. The place will be friendly, clean,interesting coffee shops, galleries, restaurants, quality shops, maybe Myers. If Yorkeys Knob is a "Gay Suburb" as you profess, look what happened in Paddington and the Inner West in Sydney, old Spring Hill and West End in Brisbane and other burbs throughout the WORLD - they explode with life and character - and renovations worth millions $$$ .Just what we all need. Don't miss out anyone - buy in Yorkeys Knob now !

What's the betting No Fruits in Trinity drives a Ute with a fancy badge and loud exhaust, has trouble stringing a sentence together and drinks XXXX Gold excessively at the Trinity Tavern. At night he surfs for Porn on the Internet and is divorced from Raelene because she found him a bigotted bore

The reason there are No Fruits in Trinity is because Messrs Hedley & Co have built their lower socio future slums throughout the area which I am confident our friend No Fruits has purchased on his first home loan. Mary is so right about how the Gay people have too much class to want to be living in that area. Perhaps No Fruits would like to join that sad bunch of homophobic critics that sit at the Bar at the equally sad L'Unicos at Trinity Beach and ask them if he could join their boys club.

People like No fruits are a pain in the arse ! this homophobic crap went out years ago , I bet they find weird stuff on your computer ! Some of my loyalist friends are gay ,it is weirdos like No fruits that make me think I,m in a time warp up here in nth qld.I was a rough tough bloke from melbourne nth suburbs in the 70s and thought like No fruits ,until at 18 I went to a party held by john farhnams future wife and met a whole house full of gay people , of both sexes from her majestys theatre ,best party I have ever been to,and the nicest people . So no fruit grow a brain moron !

I find No Fruits even more objectionable than O'Halloran. He is the sort of person that has no idea what he is criticising but thinks it's macho and makes his mates laugh. What a jerk. I agree with Apres that he would fit in perfectly at L'Unicos. Does Cr Blake hang out at L'Unicos?

I threaten even consider litigation but if you falsely claim that I accept welfare benefits ever again, I may make an exception in your case, punk - that is if I can find out who your really are, cowardly punk. You think your taxes pay for me to write occasional ditties for CairnsBlog? You are even more up yourself than I'd previously imagined, reactionary cowardly punk.

Here's another verse, just to prove that libel doesn't pay:

Another good man of the KnobWhose real name is Dick (and not Bob)Wrote a letter to sayThat the Knob is too gayAnd it puts him off corn on the cob

The comments regarding Red MX5's are right up my aveneue of expertise. As we know from photographic evidence Alan Thornton Blake owns Number Plate ATB for low profile reasons) My good friend Jeremy Clarkson described them as Hairdressers Cars. They are a Gay Icon. Although considered gutless I am unsure if this refers to the Car or the Driver. Fruity little exhaust note with little or no substance which again could refer to the driver. Small and manouverable with easily removed hood...maybe Macca should get one. Very short gear stick again not certain if this refers to the driver. Lively fast getaway which is useful if the Husband arrives home unexpectedly.To all those owners of Red MX5's I am sorry for the sudden depreciation in value when you sell but be assured there is always a successful businessman and Councillor looking for a cheap second hand car with a different number plate!

To No Fruits at Trinity & O'Halloran is Right - The main problem with O'Halloran's letter is that it said that the presence of the Outloud Choir "could frighten the parents of young children by allowing this blatant showcasing of their sexuality".

Now, why should parents of young children be afraid of a bunch of people singing on a stage?Put two & two together, & O'Halloran is suggesting a spurious link between being gay & pedophilia. Which is absolute nonsense.

Being gay or lesbian and being a pedophile are two VERY different kettles of fish.

Gay men & women are not attracted to sexual relations with young children. Pedophiles are.

But by linking the presence of the choir & the fact 'parents of young children' need be worried about the choir, just plays on that old homophobic saw.

It is extremely offensive to gay & lesbian people, & a common way to perpetrate homophobia.

Even ten or definitely 20 years ago & beyond, she would have probably been successful.

The wins against homophobia or any irrational discrimination are hard-won and sometimes tiny, but they do progress over time. But as a society we cannot rest on our laurels & think things can't regress.

The current court case against a young woman attempting to procure an early, safe abortion would spring to mind.

I am the 15 year old son that Cliff talks about. I was there at the festival, I was not there to see the gay things. I am a boy and don't like it. I was there spending time with my nonna. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my nonna because she has been there for me my whole life and Cliff has only seen me a few time. "I" take great offence to him using me as reason why what he does is o.k. when I don’t even talk about to him or anyone about it because I don’t want to know. I take offence to Cliff making our he has been a good father when he has not been a father to me at all. Mr. O'Halloran doesn't have to explain anything to me because I think I jeer, whatever jeer means, but if it means looking at like its wrong, then I jeer to at two men walking down the street holding hands. I am a teenage boy and I just don't get how a man could not get turned on by a good looking women. From a boy with a gay dad, I don’t like it, I don’t have to accept it, but I have to respect it. Cliff should respect me and not use me in his own defense. He wouldn't know what my views even are. He has never bothered to ask me. He has never really ever been bothered with me full stop unless it is like in this blog that only uses me at his own convenience. I don't worry about it though because I don't share the same last name as Cliff, thank God and am happy about it because I just saw all the photo's on face book and would feel embarrassed beyond words if any of my family or friends saw it or even knew my dad was gay like that. I don’t even like him referring to me as his son, but have to except, even though I don’t want to, but except that I am because it is something I cant change. But I will say this. Like I said, I don't like it, the idea of gay, I don’t have to except it but I do have to respect it. And all people even if they don’t agree with someone's point of view should respect it. If a parent doesn't want their children exposed to it, or have to answers questions about gays, people have to respect that. You can’t force anything on anyone. My mum has always said to me her most important job is to love, provide and protect me. I had to have it explain to me, the whole gay thing, because my dad is gay. My mum had no choice and neither do I. But others do have choices and if the parents are like my mum they are only doing what they think is best for their own kids and everyone has to respect that. Gay or not. I don’t think when I grow up I would want my kids to be asking questions like that until they are old enough. The bottom line is respecting others. I don't think there is enough respect for others out there. Don't use people like how I feel used right now in a fight I don't want to fight and for a cause I don't want to know about. Everyone has an opinion, you can't argue with and opinion, there is no right or wrong when it comes to having an opinion. You just have to respect the person and respect their opinion and at least think before you do or say something because your actions might really hurt or offend others when it is not necessary. I hope that Cliff reads this one day and realizes that I have read the article and it makes him realize that over the last 15 years he has missed out on knowing me. He has never supported me financially or emotionally he has never given me his time. But he is willing to take me and use the idea of me to his advantage. Selfish and wrong. I am not asking for his respect or time anymore, I have hurt for long enough wanting but never getting his it, but he needs to think of respecting others and other people’s views and respect them. There is no need to push what you think is right or acceptable onto others. This world is made up of millions of different people with millions of different ideas and opinions, not just you. I actually agree with Mr O’Halloran. But that is just my opinion.

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